The Ohio Cup's Origin
Ohio's two Major League Baseball teams had never met in the World Series. Prior to 1989, the teams had never even qualified for the post-season in the same year. They came close in both 1919 and 1940 when Cincinnati won both the National League and World Series and Cleveland finished second in the American League.
Details of an Ohio Cup were first unveiled at a press conference on August 25, 1988. The managers of both the Indians and Reds did not treat the cup game as anything more than an exhibition, but many fans in Columbus treated it like a referendum on major league sports in the city. At that time Columbus did not have any major league sports.
Sitting between Cleveland and Cincinnati, the city was always divided when it came to allegiance to the state's big league teams. "Half the fans (in Columbus) love the Reds and hate the Indians and the other half love the Indians and hate the Reds. It's a great matchup", said the game's promoter, Keith Sprunk.
Indians manager Doc Edwards agreed. "I'll love to play it, it's great. San Francisco and Oakland do the same thing. I'd like to see (the Ohio Cup) become an annual thing, either during the spring or in the summer.".
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